This paper presents maximum likelihood estimates and tests of a model similar to one Kydland and Prescott (1982) suggested. For this purpose, it derives equilibrium laws of motion for a set of aggregate variables as functions of the model's parameters and the innovation to the technology shock....

We examine the relationship between cyclical fluctuations and macroeconomic, institutional, and cultural indicators for 46 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean basin. In the Mediterranean cycles are different: the duration of expansions is shorter; the amplitude of recessions is larger;...

The purpose of this paper is to understand differences in cyclical phenomena across a broad range of developed and emerging countries based on the behavior of two key economic times series—industrial production and employment. The paper characterizes the series in question as a recurring...